Kiln car



Sept. 6,1927.

P. A. MEEHAN KILN CAR I7 1Hm1111111 Original Filed May 20, 1922 Z2 :if

/N L'NTo/e [giggle am@ 4 faz? S WN A TTORNE y Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL A. MEEI-IAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN DRESSLER TUNNEL KILNS, INC., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A ICORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KILN CAR.

Application filed May 20, 1922, Serial No. 562,497. Renewed February 5, 1927.

The general object of my present invention is to improve the construction of kiln cars such as are employed in moving material to be subjected to -heat treatment through a continuous tunnel kiln. A mere specific object of my invention is to provlde a car construction especially adapted for use in cars larger than ordinary kiln cars and capable of carrying very heavy loads under the extreme thermal conditions experienced in annealing metal plates and the like.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention,

its advantages and speciiic objects attained with it, reference should be had to the ac- Q companying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of anannealing l5 kiln car;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the metallic cover for the refractory body of the car.

In carrying out my invention I ordinarily form each car of one or more units, each of which comprises a metallic body or frame A, mounted on track engaging wheels B. Mounted on the metallic frame work A of each car unit is a refractor body formed advantageously, as shown, o a few massive blocks C of earthenware, which are shaped to provide ribs C and C2 at the opposite ends of the car unit. Thesey ribs are located 4 at different levels so that the ribs onadjacent ends of adjacent cars or car units overlap and thus restrict vertical flow of the kiln atmosphere through the space between the cars or car units between the levels above and below the overlapping ribs. In so far as above described, each truck unit may be similar in construction to the kiln cars ordinarily used in tunnel kilns. To permit of the units being coupled together to form a single car comprising a plurality of units, flanges A are formed at each end of each unit, and coupling bolts fasten together the ad'acent flanges A of the adj j jacent units o the car.

Mounted on top of the refractoryibody of each unit is a cast metal truck cover D;

This truck cover substantially covers the refractory body of the unit and is preferably divided longitudinally into two sections which are similarto one another except that one is provided with a lower extension D of reduced thickness which is overlapped by an upper extension D2 of the other section. Each cover plate section is formed on its upper side with a rib D3 extending 1ongitudinally of the car adjacent the outside edge of the section and a trough shaped channel DL with inclined sides is formed in the upper side of each rib D3. As shown the ends of the channels are closed b the webs D5 and stitfening webs D exten from the ribs to the adjacent plate-like portions of the cover sections.

A plurality of cast iron or steel balls are mounted in each of the channels D4. As shown there are three balls E in each channel Dt. These balls form the supports for the cast metal tray or work support F which extends over the top of the composite car, and is formed at its under side with channels F adjacent each side edge in which the tops of the two rows of balls E are received. The tray F, as shown, is

` formedwith a marginal rim F2 and with lugs Ff at its sides for engagement by a hoisting device for lifting it and its load on to and off the car. The metal plates or other material to be annealed are piled up on the tray F andare ordinarily covered by a removable metallic cover G, which, as shown, is formed of heavy metal plates and stiffening members riveted together, and is in the form of a box'with a closed top and open bottom. Hooks G are provided, as shown, on the sides of the cover to permit its engagement by a suitable hoisting mechanism for lowering it 0n to and lifting it off the tray F. In the ordinary use of my invention the tray F with its load may be lifted bodily ofi' the car at the end of the annealing or other heating operation, and may then be put back on the car with a truck load of material to be annealed or otherwise heat treated preparatory to a subsequent annealing or other heat treating operation. i

With the described construction I obtain the durability and mechanical strength necessary to resist the severe operating conditions to which the apparatus is subjected,

and also obtain a certain flexibility, facilitating the maintenance of the proper load distribution and the avoidance of distortion and fracture. from thermal expansion and contraction. The strength required, and the severity of the operating conditions` to which the apparatus is subjected may be judged from the facts that in practice a single composite car of three units` with its load may well weigh as much as 30 tons, and the truck cover members l), balls vll and tray l" ma;v be subjected to temperatures as high as 17000 l?. for hours at a time.

Clearance spaces DT are provided at the ends of the channels D* to facilitate planing the wall engaging sides of the channels if and when this is desired. t is one of the advantages of my invention, however, that neither the ball engaging surfaces of the channels DA1 and F nor the balls E need be machined, and the balls need not be and in fact preferably are not true spheres nor all of exactly the same size. Indeed, if the ball engaging surfaces of the channels D4 and li" were initially made true plane surfaces and the balls Were all true spheres ofv the same diameter, the distortion of the part-s and particularly the warping of the tray l" resulting from the temperatures to which they are subjected in use Would make it practically impossible to properly distribute the load carried by the different balls. ll'ith the roughness and inequalities in some or all of the contacting surfaces, incidental to the fact that they are unfinished surfaces of cast metal parts, it is possible to manipulate the balls E either by rotating them about their centers or along the channels D4 and F so that the upper surface of each ball will engage the side-s of the corresponding channels I4" and thus take its fair share of the load. ln effect the balls E form pcd-- estals and the truck cover members D form bases for the pedcstals of such breadth and stiffness that a careful spacing of the various balls E is not necessary to insure the avoidance of a localized crushing pressure. at any particular point on the top of the refractory car bodies.

In practice some of the balls E should be located at the opposite ends of grooves D4 in engagement with the end `Webs D5 thereof as are the end balls E of the middle car unit shown in Fig. 1. to thereby make it impossible for the whole system of tray supporting balls E to roll bodily along the grooves D', and thus shift the tray F longitudinally' of the car. By employing balls of suitable diameter, say G inches or so the trap F is spaced away from the truck cover members D far enough to provide sutiicient space for the manipulation of the balls by the hands of the operator, and also to permit of a circulation of the kiln atmosphere through the space between the truck cover members D and the underside of the tray. The division of the truck cover into at least tWo sections D for each car unit minimizes the effect of distortion and reduces the liability of fracture as a result of the thermal expansion and contraction of the parts.

lVhile in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best forms of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes in form may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that certain features of my invention may sometimes be employed to advantage .without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a kiln car, the combination with a car body of a metallic Work supporting platform, and a plurality of metallic pedestal members resting on said car body and supporting said platform With some at least of the contacting surfaces of said members, car body and platform non-uniform so that by adjustment. of said members relative to said car body and platform the Weight of said platform and its load may be properly distributed among the various members.

2. In a ,kiln car, the combination With a car body having a metallic top portion, of a metallic platform and a plurality of metallic members resting on said top portion and supporting said platform With some, at least, of the contacting surfaces of said members, platform, and top portion unfinished cast metal surfaces.

3. ln a kiln car, the combination with a car body formed With a cast metal top part provided with grooves in its upper surface running longitudinally of the car, a cast metallic Work supporting platform provided With channels in its underside registering With said grooves and castmetal balls seated in said grooves and entering said channels, some of the contacting surfaces of the balls, grooves, and channels being unfinished cast metal surfaces.

4. In a kiln car, the combination With a car body formed with a cast metal top part provided with grooves in its upper surface running longitudinally of the car, 'a cast metallic work supporting platform provided with channels in its underside registering with said grooves and cast metal balls seated in said grooves and entering said channels, some of the`contacting surfaces of the balls, grooves and channels being unfinished cast metal surfaces, and means preventing the balls from rolling along saidtgrooves.

5. ln a kiln car, the combination with a ear body formed with a sectional metallic top part provided with grooves in its upper surtaee running longitudinally of the car, a metallic Work supporting platform provided with channels in its underside registering with said grooves and metal balls seated in said grooves and entering said channels, said balls being of non-uniform spheriral shape.

In `a kiln ear comprising a metallic undertrame and a retraetor)Y body thereon, the improvement which consists in a me- .tallie eover Afor Said body, a metallic work supporting platform and a Series of metallic pedestals supported by Said cover and Supporting?Y said tray and spacing the latter away trom said cover.

7. In a kiln 'car comprising,r a metallic uudert'rame and a ref aetory body mounted thereon, the improvement which consists in a work supporting platform and means -for supporting it from said body above the latter comprising metallic pcdestals and a sectional metallic cover for the top of said refractory body forminga base for said pedestals.

Signed at Cleveland in the county ot Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio this seventeenth (lay of May, A. D. 1922,

PAUL A. Meist-IAN. 

